Best way to get into dump trucking?

I ran dumps up this way I started out doing some light labor work and little driving then after a couple months it was all driving. Have fun staying under that milling machine with a old mack 8ll transmission

 

Amen! I wouldn't trade my situation off because it's working pretty well. But as a hired truck, you've got an infinite number of 'bosses', so you really aren't your own boss. That and every breakdown costs you time and money. Like you said about winter shutdowns, I'm glad I was able to milk my air compressor through the fall, and the bad turbo I found while doing that job decided to hang on that long!

 

Back to the OP though. Start looking around for excavation companies locally. Anything from small outfits to material sources, etc. Show up to work, not just sit in the cab, if your afraid to run a shovel then dump trucks aren't for you. In my short time doing this I've already seen a lot of 'cab sitters' come and go.

 

Dump trucks don't work much in rain and winter, so you'll need more than $15/hr when they do work you to make up forthe downtime. And don't forget wage errosion over time. I mean, minimum wage should be around $11/hr now to keep up with inflation. Many jobs have been stuck at the same hourly rate for years, and minimum wage is catching up fast. It may be better to just work two steady minimum wage jobs or one job and file for welfare. That's the sad stateof business/worker relations we face in America today.

 

i had a friend that work for exevating comp i drove straight jobs and tractor trailer for a short time now im in a dump truck learning that it good home everynight and get to do snow as well also learning how to use all the equipment around the yard and probly low boy as well. If you dont no some one in buisness jusr call around tellem you have class a lic and if there hireing. And yes you do need a lic to haul large equipement on a tag trailer.

 

I ran dump in Chicago for a few years. I was paid well but I was working for friends / family. Looking on CL now and A dumps are paying $15/hr which is a joke. I loved running dump trucks,especially with my Mack Superliner. Got to run in some pretty big quarries and see some awesome construction sites.

 

Dump work can be fun and interesting. I did it for 3 years hauling sand, gravel, and hot mix. You may do the same thing all day, but usually not the same thing everyday, which was nice. It's easy to get burned out if you do the same thing all day, every day, like I do now on a water tanker. Dumps can be tricky though. Two big things I can advise on, is to always look up, and get to know the ground you are on.

Looking up: Always check for wires or other overhead obstacles. When I was running hot mix, it was not uncommon to be paving a street with a lot of trees, wires, and streetlights. A good paving crew will have a spotter who will guide you to dump and will watch for the overhead stuff, but you are ultimately responsible. Even at off road at jobsites, it's best to look up and make sure you won't hit anything when you raise the body.

Getting to know the ground: If you are off-road at a job site, it's a good idea to walk around the truck and make sure you are on good, solid ground and are as level as possible, especially if you're pulling a dump trailer. Once those things go up in the air, they are easy to tip over.

One other thing I can add if you go into a dump truck, is don't let a job super, foreman, crew person, or even another driver, rush you to get done and out of there or insist on dumping in a location you don't think is safe. I once made a crew bring the paver to me when I was doing a shoulder job on a banked curve. They wanted one side of the truck in the milled out section because they didn't have a "widener" which would have kept me more level. I gave it one shot, and when the body started to lean and creak & groan, I put it down and told them what the deal was, and that I'd take the load back to the plant if they didn't do what I wanted. They obliged.

 

A good place to start with is the contractors that do the road paving. If you get on with one of the big ones, they will have decent pay and bennies. They will knock off the hired trucks and keep their own trucks working the longest.

If you can pull a lowbed, a busy excavating or paving contractor will run you around the clock, and you can switch off to dump or straight, etc.

Utility contractors work year round, and the work isn't too difficult.

There are regular trucking companies that run dump trucks, end dumps, etc. If you can hang out near the local quarry find the close convenience store they stop at for coffee, and ask around.

There are plenty of options in dump trucking.

 

also if you can run equpment and yes some days when slow you labor some and i also weld on there broken equpment and help mechanics with stuff i can do they will keep you buissy

 

I've been a 10 wheeler owner/operator since 1998. I love it. Easy work and good money.